But about a week since relief started pouring in voluntarily from the individual level and from I/NGOs, the lack of government regulation and coordination in relief distribution has exposed serious flaws.
While quake victims in certain pocket areas, especially in easily accessible places, are found to have received relief assistance several times, victims in remote areas are yet to get anything. Also, the relief materials are found to have been distributed without proper needs assessments.
Let alone districts outside Kathmandu Valley, the flawed distribution of relief material is evident even in the outlying villages of Lalitpur district. “Relief materials distributed by individuals and by I/NGOs have largely gone to victims living adjacent to roads or in some pocket areas. Since we have only limited resources, many victims in the inner hinterlands remain deprived of even the basic needs,” complained Lele VDC Secretary Nara Kumari Rai.
Rai said that although they tried to persuade some donors to provide them assistance material and to ensure that relief is distributed equitably among all the victims, their efforts had been in vain. “We have only limited resources at hand, and have been trying to reach all the victims in need with whatever resources we do have,” she said.
First phase of relief distribution completes in quake-hit Rukum...
Bachchuram Sijapati, a local who is assisting Lele VDC officials with relief distribution, said the relief materials have yet to reach villages across Lalitpur district such as Bhattedanda, Ghusel, Sanghu, Bhukhel, Madikhel, Chandanpur, Kaleshwar, Pyutar, Thula Durlang and Sana Durlang. “This is simply because the donors do not want to take the trouble of going out to the rural areas,” he argued. A family he knew in Lele had received over 12 sacks of rice while there are needy families who have not received even a few kgs so far, he said.
This is typical of all quake-affected districts. Reports said a large number of quake victims in the rural areas of Dolakha, Ramechhap, Gorkha, Sindhupalchowk and Nuwakot, among others, complain that they are yet to see any assistance although assistance from the individual and I/NGO levels is pouring in.
Officials at the Home Ministry, which is coordinating rescue and relief, attribute this skewed distribution to the opposition of donor communities. “We wanted all the donors to coordinate with the District Administration Office
concerned so that there can be proportionate
distribution of relief. But a section of I/NGOs spread a rumor that the government is corrupt,” complained Home Ministry Spokesperson Laxmi Prasad Dhakal.
“The idea was to avoid duplication of relief materials and ensure equitable distribution among quake victims,” he said, while urging all donors to coordinate with the District Administration Offices to properly identify the places that are in genuine need of relief.
Relief material distributed without proper need assessment
Not only are relief materials distributed disproportionately, they are also found to be distributed without making proper needs assessments.
Most victims in all the quake-affected districts are found to have enough food at their disposal although they are forced to live in tents as their houses have either collapsed or have been partially damaged.
“We are not in need of food items. What we need now is tarpaulins for temporary shelter. It would be a great support if we are provided some monetary assistance for building our houses rather than other relief items,” said Tulasi Narayan Shrestha of Bhardeu VDC-1 in Lalitpur district. Shrestha saw his house collapse during the earthquake.
